


Defective

by myramustbecrazy



Category: Haikyuu!!, Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Crossover, M/M, Misunderstandings, The burbs are gems, inspired by both series
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-10
Updated: 2018-06-25
Packaged: 2018-08-20 13:49:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,205
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8251393
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/myramustbecrazy/pseuds/myramustbecrazy
Summary: Hinata knows that he's supposed to be tall and muscular, a real quartz warrior, like Asahi and Bokuto. But he also knows that those extra (thousand) years he spent underground have affected his gem in a way that makes him different, makes him special. He can protect the earth just as well as the other Gem Stones. He just needs a chance to show them.Of course he doesn't want some emergency crisis that threatens the planet to occur, but luck never really seems to be on their side.





	1. Defective

**Author's Note:**

> Okay wow.  
> I didn't think I would ever write again. It's been years since I posted something online, and back then everything was so bad.
> 
> I'm just going to see how this goes. I had this idea from reading another fic, actually, but it was pretty awful. I figured that this was something I could commit to writing, these are two of my favorite things, after all, Steven Universe and Haikyu!! If it doesn't do well, at least I'll know that I truly wasn't called to write. And I promise that despite the summary, this work is very very different from canon SU. I matched their gems to appearance as best as I could.
> 
> I'll try to update in a timely manner. I don't know that I'll be able to, but I also don't know that I won't.
> 
> I don't have a beta, obviously. I'm not new to ao3, but this is my first post. 
> 
> Please enjoy :)

Kageyama pondered the irregularity of the situation as the warp stream shimmered around him. He was used to going on missions alone; corrupted gems had no logical thought process, he didn’t need help poofing the monsters. The way they were notified of the corruption was what made the situation strange. 

 

Everyone had assumed that the ancient gem technology inside the temple wasn’t functional; it was thousands of years old, after all. They didn’t need to rely on the old Homeworld tech anyway, Kenma and Sugawara-san were skilled at sensing the precise location of active corruptions.

Kageyama sat at the kitchen counter, watching Sugawara prepare a bag of popcorn, while Kenma sat on the floor in the living room, scanning over their horde of movies. They were the only three in the temple, and Kageyama, being bored out of his skull, had agreed to join their movie marathon.

(He wasn’t particularly interested in whatever human movies they’d managed to collect over the years, but Sugawara had persuaded him with food. He and Kenma didn’t enjoy eating, so he’d have the snacks all to himself.)

Kenma had nearly jumped out of his skin when the stone-alter-turned-DVD-shelf in the living room started glowing and emitting an ominous siren-like shrill. Sugawara-san immediately rushed over and settled both of his palms on the surface of the converted storage shelf, warning Kenma to step away.

The Topaz in Suga’s bellybutton began to glow and the noise stopped, but the stone only glowed brighter. Suga pushed some anime of Kuroo’s onto the floor, and a holographic map of the Earth, now unobstructed by the box set of Sailor Moon: Season 5, projected into the air, a red X indicating a location in South America.

“There’s a problem in the Kappa Kindergarten in Facet 3?” Suga mumbled to himself. He turned his confused gaze on Kenma. “Can you sense anything?” he asked. Kenma shook his head, still looking a bit frazzled. Kageyama patted his shoulder awkwardly; Kenma’s nerves had always been terrible.

“Me either,” he mumbled, turning back towards the map and biting his lip. “Well, I don’t know what kind of corruption we wouldn’t be able to detect, but it needs to be taken care of, even if it is in a Kindergarten,” Suga had mused, nervously running his hands over his Topaz. 

Suga’s gem didn’t summon any weapons, so of course Kageyama was elected to take care of the problem.

(“Kenma, this is strange. We can’t sense it, and it set that thing off. Maybe you should go with Kageyama, just in case?”

“No.”)

 

Arriving at an abandoned Kindergarten always made Kageyama slightly uncomfortable. The ominous atmosphere never quite seemed to dissipate, no matter how much time had passed. 

Kageyama stepped off of the warp pad carefully, scanning the tall stone walls littered with exit holes. There were dozens of injectors scattered around the site in varying states of disrepair. 

The ground rumbled under his feet, making his eyes go wide. Only gem emersions made the ground tremble like that at a Kindergarten site, and he was all too familiar with the shaking. 

There were no active Kindergartens left on Earth, every defeated Homeworld gem was bubbled in the temple, and Lev had sliced the Homeworld warp into pieces after the last enemy gems retreated. So why would a gem be emerging? Kageyama thought to himself as he ran deeper into the site, frantically searching for any protrusion indicating a young gem forcing his way out of the bedrock. 

The ground rumbled again, and Kageyama followed the vibrations as they got stronger. He drew an axe out of the Azurite on his chest, careful to be alert. The stone cliffs on either side of him began to glow faintly. Kageyama turned the next corner cautiously, and sure enough, there was a hole near the bottom of the wall emitting soft light.

He moved closer, raising his axe in front him defensively. Gems can’t handle being in the ground so long after being injected, can they? He thought to himself, watching as the light grew brighter and the stone shifted forward. Surely, it’ll be corrupted…

The boulder eventually fell away, and the source of the orange light spilled ungracefully from the jagged cliff. Kageyama didn’t hesitate, swiftly climbing over the rock he’d been hiding behind and launching himself into the air. The gem appeared to be taking his form hastily. He rolled his eyes and brought the axe above his head. Corruptions had no sense of patience or efficiency.

If he could time his descent to attack the gem right as his body took a physical form, he wouldn’t have to struggle with the mindless thing at all. 

Kageyama swung the axe cleanly as he fell towards the forming corruption, aiming carefully away from the orange octagon in the center of the gem’s forehead, surrounded by unruly ginger locks…

He cursed, slamming onto the ground in front of the decidedly not corrupted gem. The boy shrieked as the enormous blue battle axe froze above him, scrambling away from Kageyama frantically. Kageyama watched as the short gem tripped and fell backwards, staring up at him with wide hazel eyes, utterly terrified.

He was small, Kageyama noticed immediately, barely taller than Nishinoya. He was also bright, with wild fiery hair and skin that reminded Kageyama of the sunset. His bright orange gem, though partially covered by his bangs, was proudly displayed on his forehead. 

Kageyama hated him.

(The gem whimpered at his hateful expression, and he tried to smooth out his face, knowing that he was probably just scaring him even more.)

The gem shifted onto his knees while lifting his hands, palms out, like Kageyama was a threat. He feels a little bad and lowered his axe. The gem visibly relaxed, and immediately moved his arms into a Diamond Salute that made Kageyama mentally cringe.

“What is your gem?” he grunted, glaring down at him.

“I don’t know, I just,” he paused for a moment, looking close to tears. “M-my Diamond?” he murmured, voice shaking. “Chocolate D-diamond?”

“This planet is no longer occupied by Homeworld,” he explained slowly, but the gem only looked confused. Kageyama wanted to roll his eyes again, but refrained. “You don’t serve a Diamond.”

“Oh,” he breathed, nodding slowly and letting his arms settle on his thighs. He stared at Kageyama almost expectantly, and right, he’d probably like to know something about… well, anything.

“Um, we’re on Earth, and uh. You’ve just emerged, obviously,” he started awkwardly, shifting back on his heels. He brought the hand holding his weapon up to scratch his head and the young gem flinched. He sighed, letting go of the axe’s handle and watching it shimmer and disappear. He cleared his throat and started again.

“This planet, Earth, was Chocolate Diamond’s colony thousands of years ago, but after a rebellion and a few centuries of disastrous war, the Diamond Order decided that neither the Earth nor Chocolate Diamond were worth the colossal amount of gem casualties and retreated. The only gems remaining on Earth are those that defended the planet during the war, and ones that were corrupted by the violence.”

“Um,” the gem hummed uncertainly. “So what happened to my… to Chocolate Diamond?”

“There are many stories about him. I’ve heard that his gem was taken back to Homeworld after he was attacked and his body was damaged, but I’ve also heard that he was shattered. All of that was before I came to Earth with a Homeworld Reinforcement Squad so I could join the rebellion. So I really don’t know.”

“Oh,” the gem whispered again. “So, what does-?”

“My gem is Azurite, and my name is Kageyama Tobio,” he interrupted. “You don’t know anything except the name of your diamond, right?” he nodded dumbly. “Okay, um. As far as your gem, you could be a Calcite? Those come in, like nine colors,”

“Uh, Kageyama Tobio?” the gem asked nervously.

“You’re short, though, so maybe Orange Sapphire? They’re really rare, though. Elites,”

“K-Kageyama,”

“And I don’t think they would grow an elite in a foreign Kindergarten, so probably not. I feel like Suga-san would know, just by looking at you,”

“Kageyama!” the gem finally exclaimed, gaining the attention of the rambling Azurite. Kageyama flushed. 

“What?” he grumbled, staring at the ground.

“I…” the gem sniffled, tears flooding his doe-like eyes, and Kageyama really isn’t good with crying… or emotions. “The only thing I know is my diamond’s name, and apparently that means nothing? I don’t know my gem or my name, and you aren’t telling me anything,” he was pretty much sobbing then, and Kageyama does not. 

“Woah, hey, stop it,” he snapped, kneeling down in front of him. His hands hovered over the other gem’s shoulders awkwardly. He only buried his face in his hands and cried harder.

“Okay, okay,” Kageyama stressed, softening his voice. “Look,” he waited until the gem looked up at him, sobs quieting slightly at the change in Kageyama’s tone. “You don’t need to know your name. That’s just something we do to feel more at home here. We, the other gems and I, we,” he struggled to explain what a name is, and God, he really was not the right person for this. 

“You don’t need to know what your gem is called right now, either, okay? Someone back at the temple will definitely know what you are. I’m just a bit of an idiot.” He sighed in relief (and tried not to be offended) when the gem nodded, watching him intently, brown eyes wet with tears, but enormous and earnest. 

His own blue eyes caught the gem’s wild orange hair again. He wasn’t crying anymore, and sitting this close to him, Kageyama could see just how closely his skin resembled the palate of a sunset. “I’ll call you Hinata, okay? Someone else at the temple will give you a first name.” 

The gem nodded again, and gave him teary eyed smile that still managed to be bright enough to remind Kageyama of nothing but pure sunshine.

 

Suga paced across the living room floor again, wringing his hands together. Kageyama had been gone far too long for the situation to be normal. He glanced at Kenma seated on the couch as he strode past him again. He appeared to be sitting calmly in his near constant state of indifference, but Suga could see how Kenma’s hands were trembling minutely.

His nervous pacing was probably not helping, but his motherly tendencies would not allow him to sit still while one of his adopted children was possibly in trouble.

He walked across the floor twice more before Kenma spoke up. “Maybe I should have gone with him,” he whispered, running his finger around the edge of the Goldenite in his palm. His voice was laced with guilt.

Suga was at his side immediately, pausing before he hugged Kenma, not sure if he was in the mood to be touched. When he leaned against Suga’s shoulder, tucking his head into Suga’s neck, the Topaz didn’t hesitate to wrap his arms around Kenma. 

“This is not your fault,” he said sternly. “Don’t worry. Kageyama is strong,” he whispered, trying to convince himself as well as Kenma. 

The two sat together in silence until the warp activated. Suga was up instantly, bounding into the kitchen. Daichi stepped off of the warp, watching Suga with mild amusement. “Hey,” he smiled, lifting one arm toward Suga, probably to slide and easy arm around his waist. There was a gem shard suspended in a translucent black bubble floating above his other palm. He paused, dropping his arm when he saw the distressed look on Suga’s face. “What’s wrong?” he asked, brows furrowed. Suga hurriedly explained the situation to Daichi, who looked more and more concerned. When Suga finished, he tapped the top of his bubble to send it to his room.

“Okay, before I call everyone back, I’ll go and make sure he’s okay, alright?” Daichi said evenly, trying to calm Suga down.

“I’ll go with you,” Kenma said suddenly, standing up from the couch and approaching the warp pad. 

“Wait, Kenma,” Suga reached out for the shorter gem’s arm, right as the warp activated again. 

Kageyama stood in front of them when the stream disappeared. There was a gem clutching onto his arm, eyes flittering around the temple anxiously. Suga, Daichi, and Kenma all stared in shock. 

Kageyama looked uncomfortable. “Hey, guys. Um. This is Hinata,” he said awkwardly. “I kind of interrupted him emerging,” he gestured to Hinata, who was now watching the three gems in front of them warily.

Suga snapped out of his shocked stupor first, gesturing for Kageyama to step off of the warp pad. They watched as Kageyama gently took the gem’s hand and guided him down the warp pad’s steps. Kenma and Daichi both stepped aside as Suga calmly took the gem’s hand from Kageyama, leading him over toward the living room. 

“My name is Sugawara Koushi, but everyone calls me Suga,” he was saying quietly.

“What the fuck?” Daichi whispered, watching as Suga sat Hinata down on the couch before sitting beside him. He and Kenma both turned to Kageyama with wide eyes. 

“He was just coming out of the ground when I got to the Kindergarten, and I couldn’t leave him there,” Kageyama snapped indignantly. “What was I supposed to do?”

“You could have just brought his gem back,” Kenma snapped back. “You don’t even know if he’s dangerous,”

“No,” Daichi interrupted before Kageyama could argue back. “He’s terrified. Look at him,”

The three of them turned their attention back to Suga and Hinata. 

“You can ask me anything you want, okay?” Suga was saying. Hinata was still looking around nervously, but he didn’t jump when Suga wrapped an arm around his shoulders. “But first, just tell me what you know.” Hinata nodded, leaning into Suga’s embrace.

Daichi couldn’t help smiling. No one could be afraid of Suga.

“Do you know your Diamond?”

“Chocolate Diamond,” Hinata answered immediately.

“Okay. I know Kageyama probably told you, but none of the Diamonds are in control here. Chocolate Diamond most likely was when you were injected, but it’s been a very long time since this planet was his colony.” Suga explained calmly while Hinata only continued to nod. “Do you know your gem?” Suga asked next.

Hinata looked ready to cry again. Kageyama looked away.

“No,” he whimpered.

“Hey, that’s okay. Do you mind leaning your head down so I can look?” Hinata complied, reaching up to push his hair of off his forehead. Suga leaned closer to inspect it, studying the gem for a moment before looking at Daichi over Hinata’s shoulder, eyes wide.

He’s a quartz! Suga mouthed.

Kenma gave Kageyama a withering look. “Congratulations,” he deadpanned. “You brought back a defective Citrine.”


	2. Hinata and the Gem Stones pt. 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cranked out the next chapter, WHOO! And it's got two parts! Double update!  
> Please enjoy :)

Hinata looked marginally more comfortable as Suga continued to talk to him. Daichi, Kenma, and Kageyama kept their distance while Suga explained what he could to Hinata. He was still folded in on himself, making his already small stature seem even smaller. Kageyama didn’t understand how such a bright gem could be so shy.

He tuned back into the conversation as Suga mentioned the temple. “There are thirteen gems that live here currently, but almost everyone is busy right now,”

Hinata straightened up a little. “Thirteen?” he glanced back at Kageyama and the others, then around at the conjoined living room-slash-loft and kitchen. “How do you all fit in here?”

Kenma snorted in amusement and Kageyama sucked his teeth in exasperation, both rude gestures masked by Suga’s twinkly laugh. “Oh no, this is just a small part of the physical temple, sort of like a common space,” Suga explained.

His patience will never cease to amaze Kageyama.

“We actually _live_ in a part of the temple that doesn’t exist in this reality,” he gestured to the door behind the warp pad. “If you access the temple with your gem. Your room will take its form according to your personal gem, magic, and sometimes even your personality.”

“Wow,” Hinata said.

“You’re going to stay here, so you’ll have your own room, of course,”

“I guess that would be a good place to start,” Daichi spoke up then, walking over to the Topaz and Citrine. “Once you have a room, you’ll start to feel more at home here,”

He backtracked when Hinata blinked at him, clearly intimidated, and Suga sent him a scathing glare. “Oh, sorry, um, I’m Sawamura Daichi,” he apologized, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. “My gem is Obsidian.”

Hinata glanced at Suga, squeezing the hand that held his.

“He’s in charge here,” Suga stage whispered to him.

Daichi spluttered. “I’m not really,” he insisted, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck. “I was just, sort of… a little responsible for the gems that served under Black Diamond during the rebellion,”

“Nearly everyone here served under Black Diamond,” Kenma mumbled.

“Come introduce yourself and stop being mean,” Suga scolded him. Kenma rolled his eyes as he shuffled over to the couch. He plopped down beside Hinata, a sizable distance between them as not to make either of them uncomfortable. “I’m a Goldenite,” he said. “My name is Kozume, but you can call me Kenma.”

Hinata gave Kenma a small smile before turning back to Suga. “Kageyama said that someone here would give me a first name?”

Suga smiled. “Okay, then. Do you like… Naozumi?”

Kenma grimaced. “Hinata Naozumi?”

“Naoyuki?” Suga tried again. No one said anything. “Naoki?”

“What's with you?” Kageyama grumbled, sitting down beside Kenma. “Shunsuke?

“That’s better,” Daichi contemplated. “Shouta?”

Hinata hummed.

Kageyama didn’t know why he was even trying. “Shou… Shouyou?”

He was not prepared for the way Hinata nearly broke his neck leaning forward to smile at him around Kenma. “I like that!” The Azurite blinked at him before turning away quickly, frowning at the burning in his cheeks. Hinata turned his attention to Kenma. “Since I can call you Kenma, please call me Shouyou!” he all but gushes.

Suga, Daichi, and Kageyama all watched in admiration as Kenma cracked a rare smile, giving Hinata a small nod.

“Alright!” Suga rose from the couch, moving link his arm with Daichi’s. “Let’s show you how to make a room, then, Hinata Shouyou!”

 

Kageyama honestly expected Hinata to be useless at magic. He’d never met a gem so young and innocently ignorant. Gems were told everything they needed to know moments after forming, but things like magic were instinctual.

Suga had only had to explain the connection between someone’s gem and the magic realm of the temple once before Hinata seemed eager to try, practically vibrating in place. Daichi gently maneuvered him to stand on the warp pad in front of the temple’s entrance. “It’ll be easier if you close your eyes,” he said once Hinata was in place. He obeyed willingly, squeezing his eyes shut in concentration.

“Okay,” Suga said. “Do you feel like something is tugging at your gem? It almost feels like the temple is demanding your attention, like it’s asking you a question,” Hinata nodded, keeping silent. Kageyama could hear the smile in Suga’s voice as he continued. “Good. The temple can sort of sense you.”

“Try to acknowledge the temple’s magic with your gem’s magic,” Daichi took over. It took several minutes, but they waited patiently until both the door to the temple and Hinata gem began to glow. “Wow, great job, Hinata. Keep focusing, this next part is a little hard.”

“I know it might sound weird, but you have to request your own space,” Suga was whispering now. “Ask the temple if you can create a room.” Hinata’s eyebrows furrowed, and Kageyama could see his lips moving, silently asking the temple for residence.

On the door, the replicas that represented all of that gems living in the temple started to shift, making space for the duplicate of Hinata’s Citrine Quartz, which situated itself right between Kageyama’s Azurite and Yamaguchi’s Jade.

The door was engulfed in orange light; the same light, Kageyama noticed, that Hinata emitted while he was forming. A slightly brighter octagon formed in the center of the door, one side at a time, and the entire door shimmered and dissolved as the shape’s eighth side appeared.

Hinata’s eyes popped open, and he gasped.

They all leaned closer, trying to get a better look at Hinata’s room. It was a typical quartz room, like an underground cavern, similar to Bokuto’s and Asahi’s rooms. Hinata’s room glows with yellow light, while Bokuto’s room glows a soft white, and Asahi’s room doesn’t glow naturally at all (which he hates, because his gem is so dark, and he keeps his room illuminated with electricity.)

“Go ahead in,” Daichi chuckled as Hinata gaped. “You can change things around, too, so don’t hesitate to customize it however you want.”

“Daichi, you should call everyone back and introduce him,” Suga said, smiling when Hinata pauses at the temple entrance, running his hand along the doorway. He glanced over at Kageyama and Kenma, smiling wider when he saw that they were both watching Hinata with tiny smiles.

Daichi noticed as well, his hand finally finding its way to Suga’s waist, tugging the Topaz into his side. “So who’s going to train him?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please bookmark and leave comments and kudos!


	3. Hinata and the Gem Stones pt. 2

Hinata had only spent a few minutes in his room before he’d come back out, shyly asking if Suga would tell him more about the Gem Stones and their dynamic. Suga spent the next hour giving a detailed synopsis of everyone, and Hinata listened intently to his every word.

_“It’s not like we all aren’t close to one another, but it’s easier to introduce everyone in their subunits,” Suga began. “Tsukishima and Yamaguchi spend most of their time together. Neither of them can summon weapons, but Tsukishima’s gem allows him to change form and alter the appearance of other gems, and Yamaguchi makes quick and efficient decisions, when he’s confident. They are both Homeworld gems, and very intelligent. They both served under Black Diamond, same as Daichi.”_

He’s is mostly settled into the temple by the time Tsukishima and Yamaguchi warp back into the temple a few hours later. They’re the first to arrive back to the temple from their most recent mission. Yamaguchi is still gushing about how many corruptions Tsukishima was able to poof as they step off of the warp pad into the kitchen.

“You always plan so well to trap them, Tsukki! So cool!”

Tsukishima rolled his eyes, not unkindly, tapping the top of his bubble to send the corrupted gems to his room. “Shut up, Yamaguchi.”

“Sorry, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi smiled, following closely behind him into the living room.

Tsukishima removed his glasses, stifling a yawn and dragging his hand over the Pyrite in his left eye. Most pyrites were camouflage experts. His ability to change form extended outside of normal shapeshifting abilities.

However, too much work on a mission always made him tired, and he just wanted to flop down on the couch and not move for a few years. He kind of understood why Kageyama and Noya-san sleep sometimes (and why Kenma was always sleeping). Yamaguchi chuckled and pushed him towards the living room when he refused to open his eye.

He froze when he felt Yamaguchi stumble into his back, opening his eye at his startled yelp. He looked over his shoulder at the Jade. Yamaguchi gripped onto his biceps, peeking over his shoulder and trembling. “Why is a new gem here?” he squeaked.

 _New gem?_ He turned around, coming face to face with Kageyama. It took him a couple of seconds to notice the tiny Citrine Quartz hiding behind him, looking just as shaken as Yamaguchi.

“Oh-ho,” he droned sarcastically, smirking at Kageyama. “Who’s your friend, Kageyama? Since when do we bring strays back to the temple?”

“Are you ever serious about anything, Tsukishima?” Kageyama scowled, clicking his tongue in annoyance when Tsukishima only seemed satisfied by his attitude. “He emerged from a Kindergarten only a few hours ago. This is Hinata Shouyou, a Citrine Quartz.”

“Ah I see,” Tsukishima smiled, leaning around Kageyama to greet Hinata. “Interesting. Hello there, small one,” his smirk widened when Kenma snorted from the couch.

“Don’t, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi whispered, still clinging to his shoulders. “That’s not something he can help.”

“Listen to your pet and control yourself for once, _Pyrite_ ,” Kageyama spat.

“Um,” Hinata tittered nervously, squirming and squeezing Kageyama’s biceps in his small hands.

Kageyama nudged Hinata out from behind him. “Hinata, this is Yamaguchi Tadashi, a Jade, and Tsukishima Kei, a Pyrite.”

“Nice to meet you, Hinata,” Yamaguchi finally slid out from behind Tsukishima, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’m sorry about them, Tsukki and Kageyama don’t really get along.”

“Oh that’s okay!” Hinata warmed up immediately. “Kageyama doesn’t seem to get along with anyone. Suga-san and Daichi-san ignore when he’s mean, and Kenma didn’t even care much.”

Yamaguchi laughed brightly, and Tsukishima’s smirk melted into a scowl. Kageyama scoffed, equally unimpressed, watching him chatter with Yamaguchi like they were best friends.

 

 

_“Lev and Yaku have a complicated history,” Suga told him. “Kenma, Kuroo, Yaku, and Lev all served under Red Diamond. There’s kind of a blacklist of things you don’t want to say around either of them. It’s not that either of them would become angry, but it’s better for everyone if we let the past stay the past.”_

_Hinata nodded earnestly, he didn’t want to make anyone upset. “What kinds of things shouldn’t I say?”_

_Suga smiled. “You don’t have to worry much, just don’t mention height around Yakkun.”_

 

Yaku was done. He was.

Lev was oblivious, as _always,_ and he wouldn’t stop talking. He chattered away the entire trip back to the temple, blissfully unaware of how agitated Yaku was. He’d considered pushing him out of the stream, but Lev would most likely just find a way to break the entire warp system from the inside or something.

When they finally arrived back inside the temple, he tapped the top of his bubble (and Lev’s two, because the idiot would leave them floating right there), stepping down off of the pad. Lev followed behind him like a puppy. “I did well today, didn’t I, Yaku-san? I got two corrupted gems today, and you only had one! But that’s okay, they could fly, so it wasn’t fair to you anyway,”

Yaku was _done_.

“ _Ah!”_ Lev yelped when Yaku punched the small of his back. “What did I _say_ , Yaku-san?”

“I swear to my ex- _diamond,_ you stupid pearl! If you don’t shut up ri-”

“ _Hello_ , Yakkun, Lev-kun! I’m so glad to see that your mission went well,” Suga tittered cheerfully, swooping into the kitchen and tugging Lev out of the way of Yaku's infuriated kicking. “Come into the living room, there’s someone I’d like you both to meet.”

Yaku raised an eyebrow. The way Lev perked up was almost comical. He dug his heels into the floor to stop Suga from dragging him. “Did we finally get a puppy? I was not prepared for this. Oh, Suga-san, thank you,”

“There’s no dog, you idiot,” Yaku snorted, shuffling past them. “Where’s the newbie?” Suga smiled; Yaku’s perception was immaculate. Lev seemed even more excited about a new gem, bounding into the living room behind Yaku.

“Hi!” Hinata was introducing himself to the slightly less agitated Agate. “I’m Hinata, the newbie.”

When Hinata stood up from the couch, the top of his head barely reaching Yaku’s chin, Lev opened his mouth again. “Wow, look Yaku-san! You’re taller than someone other than Nishinoya-san now! You must be so relieved; I know how much you hate being so shor- _Ah!_ What did I _say_? _”_

Suga didn’t try to save him from the onslaught of furious kicks this time.

 

 

_“You’ve already met Kenma. He and Kuroo usually go on missions together, but Kenma gets a little lazy sometimes,”_

_“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Sugawara-san. I am the epitome of energy and enthusiasm,” comes the deadpan interruption from the loft above them. Hinata glanced up. He’s playing Warlock Quest IV on their ancient game system. Suga continues without missing a beat._

_“-and Bokuto goes with Kuroo when Kenma doesn’t.”_

 

Hinata peaked around the kitchen counter when the warp stream shimmers again. Two tall, scary looking gems appeared, both still holding intimidating looking armaments.

“Please put those away,” Daichi stressed from his place at the stove when Bokuto went to wave at them and nearly sliced Yamaguchi in the face with his sword. The frazzled Jade rushed around him quickly, clutching his bowl of cereal closer to his chest and disappearing through the temple door (into Tsukishima’s room).

“Whoops,” they said in unison, both laughing. Kuroo simply dropped the several razor sharp stars he was still wielding while Bokuto sheathed his sword.

Kuroo stepped off of the warp pad and headed straight for the loft stairs, and Kenma. “Where is my lovely kitten?” he called, ever present smirk growing bigger when Kenma pulled his blanket higher around his shoulders.

“Unfortunately, he is dead. Please do not tamper with his cold, stiff corpse.”

“He is not,” Kuroo beamed, flopping down on top of the Kenma burrito.

“Is too.”

“Kuroo, there’s a new gem you need to meet. That’s why I called you both back in the first place,” Daichi yelled.

“I need to recharge,” Kuroo yelled back, voice muffled.

“You _don’t_ ,” Kenma snapped. There was a thud, then a pained groan.

“I _do_ ,” Kuroo whined.

Bokuto jumped up onto the counter, frowning. (“Bokuto, please get down,” Suga said. He was ignored.) Hinata gaped at this gem’s ability to pout. His biceps were bigger than Hinata’s head. “So you didn’t call us back for dinner?” he muttered, utterly dejected.

Daichi sighed heavily. “Bo, you can have dinner now if you want. Please say hello to Hinata first.”

Bokuto spun around on the counter, solemn mood forgotten, nearly kicking Kageyama in the face. The Azurite leaned back just in time, barely taking his attention away from the ramen Suga was forking onto his plate. “Hey hey there, Hinata!” Bokuto smiled widely.

Hinata beamed back. “Hello, Bokuto-san! Suga told me you’re a quartz too.”

Bokuto leaned closer. “Wow, you’re a quartz?! You’re not like any quartz I’ve ever seen, _ever_! You must be so different. I bet you can do super cool stuff no one else can do! It’s okay though, I’m the only Tourmaline Quartz I’ve ever seen. Citrines aren’t that rare, but _you_ sure are.”

Hinata smiled. These gems weren’t so scary.

 

 

_“Azumane, Noya, and Tanka were all Kindergarten gems made here on Earth, like you, Hinata. They were some of the first gems to fight with Daichi in the rebellion.”_

 

The last group to arrive back at the temple was Tanaka, Noya, and Asahi. While the others had arrived within an hour of the two before, this group of three arrived back at the temple several hours after Kuroo and Bokuto. Hinata waited patiently in the living room, sitting on the couch with Suga and Daichi, as everyone else had retired to their respective rooms for the night.

When the three finally warped into the temple, Daichi shot to his feet, fuming. “When I send out a signal, it means to return as soon as possible,” he spoke calmly, but there was an ominous darkness in his tone. “What happened?”

“Daichi-san,” they all attempted to speak at once.

“I-I’m so very sorry. I told them we should head back immediately,”

“You should have _seen_ the teeth on the thing, man, it was _sick_ , nearly tore my arm off,”

“The stupid thing didn’t seem impressed by my incredible technique, the Rolli-”

Daichi pinched the bridged of his nose, holding up a hand to silence the three of them. “Okay. Asahi, I’m sorry these two make your anxiety act up. Please feel free to join Tsukishima and Yamaguchi on their next mission.”

Hinata blinked. The Smoky Quartz dropped into a stiff bow, long hair falling around his face. He could clearly see the dark gem in the center of his chest. It was the same size and shape as Bokuto’s gem. “Thank you, I’m sorry again.”

“Asahi, I can’t believe you,” the shortest one grumbled. His dark hair stood up on end, with a shock of gold lying on his forehead. His gem was on his forehead, partially hidden under the blonde streak. It was veined bronze and gold. Hinata knew this must be Noya.

Daichi sighed deeply and turned his attention to the Tiger’s Eye. “Noya, I’ve told you about interfering in the combat. Your skills are needed for reinforcement. If you get hurt, what would other injured gems do?”

Noya scowled. “I’m strong, Daichi. Just because I can’t summon a weapon and doesn’t mean I can’t fight, too. I can do more than heal damaged gems.”

Daichi sighed heavily for the second time. “Just. Please be careful.”

“Aye, aye, captain,” Noya grinned, giving Daichi a playful salute.

“And Tanaka,”

“No need to waste more time on another lecture, Daichi-san. I see we have a new recruit?!” The Zircon laughed boisterously, stepping around Daichi greet Hinata. “Howdy, recruit! I’m Tanaka, the strongest, toughest Zircon in all the cosmos,” he flexed his arms, showing off the gem located on his forearm.

“My name’s Hinata. I’m a quartz,” Hinata exclaimed, jumping up from the couch, already enraptured. He missed the way Asahi straightened at the mention of his gem. “Wow, really?” he continued. “The strongest? That’s so cool, Tanaka-san!”

“Oh no,” Suga moaned. “Hinata, he’s just,”

“Well, well, well,” Noya interrupted, sidling up next to Tanaka. “If he’s the strongest in all the cosmos, then I’m _coolest_ ,”

“No way,” Hinata gushed, staring at the two with stars in his eyes. Suga and Daichi shared a painful look.

“Believe it, Rookie!” Noya threw his arms out. “You’re looking at Earth’s one and only resident, Gem Stone Guardian Deity.” Hinata was practically bouncing in place. Tanaka and Nishinoya were drinking it up. “I’m the only gem on Earth with healing powers, so if Homeworld ever shows their-”

“Noya, _please_ ,” Daichi snapped. “He’s been here a day.”

The Tiger’s Eye backed off regrettably. “I’m still the coolest, though, kid,” he whispered, winking at Hinata.

Asahi shyly stepped forward then, gently nudging Nishinoya aside. “Hello, Hinata. I’m Asahi, a quartz as well. I look forward to working with you in the future.”

Hinata smiled at Asahi’s kind words, returning his respectful bow. “Me too, Asahi-san!”

Daichi groaned, covering his eyes with an arm. Suga rubbed his back comfortingly. “Finally, that’s done; you’ve met everyone. We’ll start your training soon, Hinata. Enjoy your first night in your room.”

Hinata smiled widely, following after Noya-san and Tanaka-san as they made their way to the temple entrance, Asahi close behind. He could hear Suga and Daichi talking softly behind them.

He’d only existed for a few hours, and his life already seemed interesting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just some quick little descriptions of everyone, and how they meet Hinata, of course.  
> Hope you liked! Please leave a comment/kudos.


	4. Really Defective: Kageyama is a Terrible Teacher

_(It doesn’t take Daichi long to notice that Hinata is becoming reckless._

_“I know we should probably get him started soon, but I don’t know what to do. Who would train him? What team will he join? We don’t even know what he can do, yet. Shit, he might not even be able to summon a weapon,” Daichi was mumbling to himself, pacing back and forth at the foot of Sugawara’s bed. The Topaz watched him sleepily, humming in agreement whenever the Obsidian looked over at him._

_Suga sighed loudly when Daichi sat on the edge of the bed with his head in his hands. He sat up, kneeling behind the Obsidian and sliding his hands over his broad shoulders, dropping light kisses there. “Daichi, you know just as well as I do who should train him.”_

_Daichi groaned, leaning back against Suga and relaxing a little. “I know. They’re just so different. I’m worried.”_

_Suga leaned his head on Daichi’s shoulder, wrapping his arms around his waist. “I know you are. You’re a good leader, baby,” Daichi only groaned louder, tilting his head to the side. Suga continued his ministrations, trying to ease the tension in Daichi’s muscles. “You know what he told me today?” The Obsidian hummed. “He said, ‘I think Kageyama isn’t nice because he thinks no one wants him to be.’ I didn’t know what to say.”_

_Daichi smiled. “Who would?”)_

 

Hinata watched the gems bustle around from his place at the counter next to Sugawara. Their morning routine was like a fine-tuned machine, and he was amazed at the blur of activity happening around him. One would expect that thirteen people sharing a common living space would be absolute chaos, but they move around each other effortlessly. He yearned to be a permanent part of their family.

Daichi, Kuroo, and Bokuto were the first ones up every morning and pretty much set the pace for all the other gems. Hinata didn’t know what they did while everyone else slept in for a few more hours, but he figured it has something to do with the missions the gems went on.

Sugawara and Yaku usually rose next, and almost always handled breakfast, as the only gems who didn’t eat were themselves, Kenma, and Tsukishima. The other gems playfully referred to them as the group’s mother figures. Within an hour, all of the gems (excluding Kenma, who usually had to be dragged or threatened from his room in the morning) were awake, cooed into the main part of the temple by the promise of being fed.

(Kenma wrinkled his nose as Kuroo and Bokuto, sat respectively on either side of him on the couch, practically inhaled their food, chopsticks a blur.

“You both know we don’t need that, right?” he mumbled, eyeing the food warily. “And it looks… is it supposed to smell like that?”)

Of course, having only lived in the temple and been a part of their dynamic for a few days, Hinata had not yet been absorbed into the swing of things, but he was fine with that. It was interesting to watch them, anyway.

The gems tried to spend time together as a group before setting out to complete the tasks of the day, squeezing as many bodies as possible onto the couch before some settled onto the floor in front of the TV. They playfully bickered about what to watch and who’s elbow was digging into what ribs.

Around mid-morning, Daichi distributed missions to the gems and the teams of the day slowly made their way to the warp pad.

Hinata had also noticed, without Suga’s explicit explanations, that most of the gems who handled missions together were _partners_ , in every sense of the word. After quietly observing, it was apparent in the way Kuroo would constantly bother Kenma despite the latter’s obvious annoyance, in Yamaguchi’s content compliance to Tsukishima’s constant state of irritation, in Asahi’s frantic nagging of Nishinoya, and _especially_ in the way Daichi practically worshipped the ground Suga walked on.

(He couldn’t quite understand the dynamic of Yaku and Lev’s relationship, but the Pearl’s moon eyes for Yaku were never as subtle as he tried to make them seem, obvious even to the ever oblivious Kageyama.)

Hinata had asked Sugawara about Daichi, about how they grew so close even though the Topaz didn’t go on many missions, but decided to never do so again when Suga only blushed prettily and tried to stammer through an explanation.

He wondered absently whether Kageyama and Bokuto had gems who were special to them when they lived on Homeworld. From the way Suga described their conservative home planet, this wasn’t very likely.

His content observation bleeds into anticipation, eventually. He can’t help but want to be a part of it as he watches the gems come back to the temple with bubbles, gem shards, and stories about wild corruptions. The way Tanaka and Noya excitedly described their missions to him made him want to follow them onto the warp pad so he could bring back bubbled shards of his own.

Kageyama had gotten tired of it quickly.

Every time he returns to the temple, Hinata is sitting on the floor right in front of the warp pad, springing to his feet and asking questions about his mission and the corruption and his shards, and it’s the _worst_. He was absolutely right to assume that Hinata couldn’t possibly stay shy for long.

He stood on the steps of the warp pad, unable to simply walk around Hinata and ignore him. The last time he’d done so, Hinata pouted and Sugawara glared at him until he apologized.

Hinata was bouncing on his toes a few steps down, gazing at the gem shard in his bubble. He fought the growing urge to smack himself in the forehead. “Hinata,” he ground out through gritted teeth. “Will you move, please?”

Hinata just keeps smiling, moving aside before following him into the kitchen. “Sure! No problem!” His voice is excited, bordering on chirpy, and why is he like this? Kageyama just wants a break.

Hinata is silent for all of two minutes before he leans against the counter next to where Kageyama is trying to make a sandwich in peace. “ _So_ ,” he drawls, nudging the Azurite with his elbow.

“What.”

“Why do you go on missions by yourself? No one else does.”

Kageyama freezes, knuckles going white as his grip tightens on the edge of the counter. “I know,” he mutters, trying to force the tension from his body. Hinata doesn’t notice his discomfort, plowing on.

“Yeah, so, why? How come you don’t go with the others as, like, a group thing?”

Hinata was trying to catch his eye, leaning in close enough for their arms to brush together. Kageyama refused to look at him, focusing all of his attention on applying a perfectly even layer of mayonnaise to both slices of bread. He’d watch Yaku do this plenty of times.

“Hello? Kageyama-san?” Could this kid not take a hint?

“I don’t work well with others.”

“ _Hah_?”

Slamming the jar down on the counter, Kageyama snapped his gaze to the loud, hyper, and now _invasive_ , Citrine. “Look, dumbass,” he growled, thoroughly offended. “You don’t know _anything_ about-”

“You know no one cares that you’re such an asshole, right?” Hinata interrupts. Kageyama’s words die in his throat. “I had a feeling you were weird about it; it’s why I asked. You think too much.”

“Oi, don’t psychoanalyze me!” Kageyama flushes red, attempting to shove Hinata away from him. The Citrine dodges him smoothly, doubling back and grabbing Kageyama’s arm. “Hey! What do you think you’re _doing_?!”

Hinata only screeches in his ear. “No one hates you!”

“What are you saying!?” Kageyama’s face is on _fire._ “Get off!”

“No!” Hinata is yelling now. How did this happen? Was there some development he missed? “Daichi sends you on missions by yourself because you’re pretty much a genius! Stop acting like no one wants you here! Everyone does, you hear me? Even Tsukishima!”

“Hinata, you don’t know what you’re talking about!” Kageyama yelled back, trying to pry his tiny hands off.

“Shut up! Of course I do! All I do is watch you guys since no one wants me to do anything!”

The Azurite stopped struggling, slumping back against the counter. He tried not to shiver when Hinata settled against him, pressing them together comfortably. He huffs sigh when Hinata wraps him up in a tight hug.

“I’ll be your partner if you train me,” he mumbles quietly, squishing his cheek against Kageyama’s gem. It’s silent for several minutes before he mumbles an agreement, staring up at the ceiling and trying to force his blush down.

This gem, newly emerged – practically a fucking _infant_ – had discovered his most crippling insecurity. How had he let himself be so transparent? Could _everyone_ tell how excluded he felt?

“God, you’re annoying,” they mumbled at the same time.

 

A few days later, after several lengthy lectures from Daichi and Hinata’s crash course in warping, Kageyama faces the center of the ancient Sky Arena. It’s still in fair condition, considering its age. The garden around the perimeter of the open battle area has spread closer to the center of the arena. It’s the only evidence suggesting that this place is no longer in use.

Hinata is standing beside him on the warp pad, silent for once.

“What’s wrong with you?” Kageyama scowled, stepping off the pad carefully; the steps were destroyed.

Hinata scrambled after him, tripping over the uneven warp steps and crashing into Kageyama’s back. He steadied himself against the Azurite’s shoulder blades. Kageyama stepped forward even though Hinata hadn’t regained his balance; this physical contact needed to stop. It made his skin too warm.

He stalked forward, into the center of the arena before whipping around to face the Citrine. Hinata had a small frown on his face, glancing around at the history surrounding them. He didn’t move closer to Kageyama again.

“This place is Chocolate Diamond’s Sky Arena, a place where most quartz warriors were trained,” Kageyama begins. “Chocolate Diamond colonized Earth because of its abundance of silicon and oxygen, so he moved his arena to this realm for the quartz soldiers he intended to grow here. The first attack, the one that started the war, actually occurred here.”

“Wow,” Hinata murmured. “What was he like, Chocolate Diamond?”

Kageyama shrugged. “He wasn’t my diamond, but everyone knows that his court adored him. Any gem serving temporarily under him never complained. His actual title was Champagne Diamond, but he didn’t like to be referred to so formally, from what I’ve heard. He was unquestionably the most beautiful member of the Diamond Order, and he was apparently very kind. There were rumors that he had a bad temper, though.”

Hinata looks like he wants to ask another question, but Kageyama cuts him off. “We have a few hours before Bokuto and Asahi finish their missions, and you’ll need to have some basics down before they can teach you the best way to fight as a Quartz.”

Hinata straightens up, nodding eagerly. “Okay. I want to go on missions, too!”

The Azurite tries not to snort. “Well, let’s start with summoning a weapon. The average quartz soldier doesn’t summon a weapon, and instead have them forged. It’s why truly talented or high ranking warriors were given Pearls as servants; they can deconstruct physical things and store the light in their gems.”

Hinata smiled wide, showing every one of his teeth. “I was wondering why Lev’s snacks disappear so fast when he doesn’t feel like sharing. Does he belong to Asahi, or Bokuto? They don’t seem _that_ close…”

“Don’t assume things. Lev served an Emerald under Red Diamond.” Kageyama made a face. “And he’s disgusting, keeping food in his gem. Stop getting distracted. First, you need to summon a weapon.” Hinata squeezes his eyes shut in concentration, seemingly done asking questions for the moment. “Access your gem’s magic and search for defense.”

“ _Hah_? What are you saying?!” Hinata demands, not opening his eyes.

“Shut up, dumbass! This is how I was trained on Homeworld,” Hinata looks offended and ready to start an argument, so the Azurite tries to calm down, pinching the bridge of his nose. “If it doesn’t respond, that doesn’t mean you’re doing something wrong.”

“Fine,” the Citrine grumbled, focusing on the magic of his gem the way Daichi and Suga taught him. When his gem began to glow, he cracked an eye open to peer at Kageyama. “Now what?”

“Well, the fact that your gem is glowing means that you are able to summon _something_. Now you need to figure out the form of your weapon before you can draw it. Once you know what it is, just manifest it’s light into a physical form and… pull it out, pretty much.”

Hinata’s face scrunched up even more as he tried to concentrate, and Kageyama thought he looked less like he was trying to summon a weapon and more like he needed to take a shit. “I don’t know what you’re talking about!” He opened his eyes, reaching up to smooth his hair down into peaked bangs, and mimicking Kageyama’s deep voice. “ _Manifest the light and pull it out_ ,”

“I sound _nothing_ like that!”

Hinata rolled his eyes exaggeratedly. “Of course that’s what you sound like! And I don’t understand. There’s plenty of light in my gem, how am I supposed to know what to “manifest” and what to leave alone?!”

The Azurite grabbed the top of the shorter gems head, growling in irritation. “What are _you_ , saying now, stupid? There’s no other light in your gem that will _take_ a physical form except for the light the makes up your _actual body_!”

Hinata struggled to push Kageyama off him, yelping in pain when the taller gem dug his fingers into his scalp. “Well, I can’t tell! It all feels the same except for a little bit!”

Kageyama froze, letting his grip on the Citrine’s ginger hair go lax. “What did you say?”

Hinata took the opportunity to escape, scrambling away from Kageyama. “I said it there’s only a little of that light stuff that doesn’t feel like it wants to turn into something else. I think. You don’t explain things very well.”

The Azurite stared at Hinata as he tried to fix his hair and grumbled about his violence. _No way could this idiot have such a rare ability. Maybe he just can’t…_

Kageyama shook his head, clearing his doubt away. “Hinata,” he grunted, demanding the other gem’s attention. “Who’s weapon is the coolest?”

Hinata perked up immediately. “Kuroo-san’s scythe is _awesome._ He showed it to me when Azumane-san and Bokuto-san were telling me about quartz stuff the other day, and he was all _swish-_ ”

“Summon it,” Kageyama interrupted his rant.

Hinata’s face fell. “What?” Kageyama only narrowed his eyes. “But I’m not… Kuroo-san said scythes are unique and rare! He even showed me this cool move called ‘Witch Hunter’ that he made up from this Halloween movie where this scary witch had a black cat,”

“Try anyway,” Kageyama insisted, talking over the Citrine’s nervous ranting.

Hinata gulped, nodding slowly. He closed his eyes again, and Kageyama watched as his gem began to glow softly. He peeked an eye open at Kageyama, who stood with his arms crossed over his chest firmly.

The younger gem closed his eyes again nervously before reaching up to slide his fingertips over his gem. He sighed deeply, and drew what looked startlingly similar to the handle of Kuroo’s scythe, orange instead of glossy black, from his gem.

He paused when his arm wouldn’t stretch any further, reaching up with his other hand draw the remainder of the handle, attached at razor sharp curved blade, swinging it around his head clumsily before looking up at Kageyama in shock.

“How did you know my weapon was a scythe?” Hinata whispered, eyes sparkling with joy. “So c _ool_."

Kageyama smirked to himself. “Your weapon isn’t a scythe.” The Azurite summoned his battle axe, holding it up for Hinata to get a good look at. “Try this.”

Hinata seemed to catch on then, eagerly dropping the scythe and closing his eyes to try again. It didn’t take as long this time for him to summon an axe identical to the one Kageyama held.

Hinata stared at the axe in innocent wonder before gazing up at Kageyama. The Azurite flushed, embarrassed the Hinata could look at someone, _him,_ in particular, with such vulnerable admiration. “So what’s my weapon?”

"All of them, it seems like." Kageyama chuckled at Hinata's deer in headlights expression, swinging his axe around and settling it on his shoulder. "Kenma was right. Defective is the only thing to call you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't describe Kuroo's gem or his natural weapon in the last chapter! He is a Cat's Eye Scapolite, and it's in his right eye. His weapon, obviously, is a scythe. I tossed in a Soul Eater reference, ha.  
> I hope you enjoyed reading and I will try to update soon!


	5. Elite Rarity Tanzanite: Part 1

Hinata didn’t look too offended by Kageyama’s comment; Kageyama believed the tiny gem hadn’t even heard him, too busy trying to clumsily swing his replica of Kageyama’s battle axe around his head.

“Hey,” Kageyama barked when he stumbled backwards, not handling the uneven distribution of weight properly. “Stop messing around before you kill yourself. You have no idea what you’re doing.”

Hinata pouted ( _pouted,_ Kageyama was disgusted, honestly), dropping the axe. It didn’t dissociate into light particles properly, instead clunking noisily to the ground. Hinata ignored the mistake, stepping closer to the fuming Azurite.

“Dumbass, you need to let it disappear properly! What if you had sliced your damn leg off, and I would _not_ have waited for you to regenerate,”

Hinata slid right up to him, standing on his toes. Their noses were an inch apart and Kageyama’s rant sputtered off. “You need to quit it with that awful attitude if we’re going to be partners,” Hinata said quietly, staring right into his fucking _eyes_.

Kageyama stumbled backwards, blushing furiously. “Do you have any concept of personal space?” he growled, staring at arena in ruins around them, at anything but this horrible gem that flustered him so easily.

Hinata wasn’t bothered, shrugging his shoulders. “You always stop being mean to me if I get really close. Unless you’re trying to hit me,” he trails off, pout intensifying.

The Azurite choked on his next breath, at a loss for words.

They stared at each other for several moments, Kageyama genuinely scandalized and Hinata oblivious. The horrible awkwardness was shattered when the warp pad activated, revealing the other two quartz warriors.

Bokuto immediately leapt off the warp pad, bounding toward them and sweeping Hinata up into his arms, while Azumane made his way over to them slowly, carefully avoiding the uneven areas of the arena floor.

When the Bokuto finally set Hinata down, he turned to Kageyama and slapped him hard on the shoulder. The Azurite, nearly doubled over from the force, but offered Bokuto and Azumane a polite nod.

The two quartzes looked around at the arena with misty eyes. “This place has changed,” the Smoky Quartz murmured, nudging at a weed with the toe of his foot.

“For the better, if you ask me,” the Tourmaline responded with a wistful sigh. “Alright. No more weird remembering,”

“Reminiscing,” Azumane corrected kindly.

“No more weird reminis- reminiscing, boys! _Let’s get to work!_ ” Bokuto nearly screamed, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

“Okay, what kind of training regimen did you have in mind, Bokuto-san?” Kageyama asked, rubbing his aching shoulder. Bokuto stared at him blankly. “You didn’t have a specific schedule you wanted to implement?” Bokuto blinked. “No program? Nothing you wanted to do first?”

Bokuto laughed boisterously, shaking his head as if Kageyama was a poor pupil that was horribly mistaken. “Now, now, Tobio,”

“Please don’t use my name so casually,”

“That planning and programming and such is not how we quartz warriors do things,” Bokuto continued haughtily.

“Um, Bokuto-san,” Azumane interrupted softly. “Quartz warriors actually trained by a very strict-”

“Enough talk of the past, Asahi-san! Quartzes on earth will be trained by pure spontaneity and instinct.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Azumane insisted. “We need to start very simple, Hinata has no experience at _all_ , we can’t just,”

Hinata was, of course, eager to get started on anything. “Spontaneity and instinct!” he chirped happily. “Let’s go! Bring it on!”

Bokuto smirked smugly while Azumane’s face crumpled in horror. Kageyama huffed in annoyance. Bokuto’s sword was drawn in an instant, and Hinata’s eyes widened. Kageyama rolled his eyes.

Bokuto lowered into an offensive stance. “Keep your eyes on me, okay, Shorty? This here is an awesome custom made sword for the only Tourmaline of White Diamond’s court.” Bokuto smiled kindly, like he wasn’t wielding a deadly weapon that he was an expert at handling. “Watch me. I’ll make it real obvious what I’m gonna do, so all you gotta do is not get sliced up.”

Kageyama saw the way he shifted his weight slightly backwards, and took a few steps away from the trainee/victim.

“ _Bokuto-san_ ,” Azumane stressed.

He lunged at Hinata, sword aimed straight into his stomach. The Citrine shrieked, barely stumbling out of the way before he was skewered.

“Why?” Azumane moaned.

Bokuto waited until Hinata had righted his footing before attacking again. Hinata was slightly better prepared his time, side-stepping his blade clumsily. “Oh, better!” Bokuto complimented. “Keep your movements small though, in close combat like this, you need to be close to your opponent in case you have the opportunity to strike.”

“Ah, okay,” Hinata nodded distractedly, jumping out of the way as Bokuto attacked again. He was only using a small fraction of his actual speed and force, Kageyama noticed. Daichi had entrusted this crazy gem with training for a reason.

The two continued the awkward dance-like practice of slow strikes and dodging while Azumane and Kageyama watched. Hinata finally began to pick up on Bokuto’s movements, dodging more easily, and smirking when he managed to duck under his sword smoothly.

“Ah, don’t get so cocky!” Bokuto hollered joyously. “Keep dodging!” he took advantage of his crouched position, sweeping a leg under Hinata’s feet, knocking him off balance.

Hinata yelped as he stumbled backward precariously before losing his balance and falling into a twisted mess of vines and weeds, laughing. He immediately stopped giggling when there was the sickening sound of a gem cracking.

“Woah, are you okay?!” Bokuto asked frantically, grabbing Hinata and carefully pulling him up. Azumane and Kageyama rushed over to the duo. The Smoky Quartz nudged Bokuto aside, brushing Hinata’s hair aside gently to examine his gem. It was fine. Azumane sighed heavily in relief.

“He didn’t fall that hard,” Bokuto pouted when Azumane glared at him. “I wouldn’t hurt him!”

Kageyama glanced down at the bush where Hinata had fallen. He kneeled closer to the weeds, ignoring Azumane’s concerned scolding and Hinata’s insistence that he was fine. The Azurite summoned his axe, carefully cutting away at the foliage until his suspicion was confirmed.

“He’s fine, Asahi-san,” he spoke up, cutting off the three of them trying to talk over each other. He stood up after extracting a brilliant deep blue gem from the weeds wrapped around it. Cradling it carefully in his hands, he held it out the three quartzes. Sure enough, there was a severe crack marring the gorgeous service of the gem. “He fell on this.”

Bokuto jerked away from the gem like Kageyama had tried to shove something rotten in his face, moaning like he was in physical pain. Kageyama immediately retracted his hand, confused.

“Oh, my Diamond, my _Diamond_ ,” he whispered. He never looked away from the cracked gem in Kageyama’s palm.

“What? What’s wrong? Bokuto-san?” Hinata asked worriedly.

Bokuto shook his head harshly. “He’s hurt. His gem… we need Nishinoya right now.”

 

Kageyama cradled the cracked gem in his hands carefully as they warped back to the temple. Bokuto stayed silent the entire time, avoiding the questioning stares of his fellow gems. He clutched his sword in his hand tightly, staring at the warp stream with a pained expression.

Hinata shuffled on his feet nervously, dwarfed by the tense atmosphere more than the other three gems towering over his slight frame. Kageyama is extremely appreciative that he’s keeping his mouth shut for once.

Kageyama felt that Bokuto must recognize this gem, so how was he going to handle actually seeing him when Nishinoya healed the crack and his body could reform?

Upon returning to the temple, Kageyama sighed in relief that both Daichi and Suga were present, standing on opposite sides of the counter seemingly deep in conversation. The two looked up when the warp activated.

Daichi heaved a fatherly sigh, “Bo, the sword-”

Bokuto stumbled off the warp pad hastily, sheathing his sword and looking frantically around the room. “Is Noya here? I need him, he needs him right now, Daichi,” Bokuto seems to be getting hysterical now, hands shaking. “ _Daichi_ ,” he whimpers. “Daichi, he’s here, but he’s _hurt_. Oh God, it’s been so long,”

Daichi’s exasperated expression melts into worry. “Bokuto, calm down. Are you okay? Who needs Nishinoya?” he said quietly, gripping the muscular quartz by his shoulders and holding him still. Bokuto breathes in and out heavily, shaking his head. Daichi glances at Sugawara over his shoulder and the Topaz immediately jumps into action.

“Okay,” his soothing voice calls melodiously. He glides over to the other three gems standing on the warp pad, dumbfounded. “Who wants to tell me what happened?” Kageyama wordlessly holds the cracked gem out to Suga when he reaches them.

The Topaz gasps, holding his hands out, palms up. Kageyama gingerly places the gem into his hands, tension melting out of his shoulders when he finally lets go. Suga turns the gem over in his palm, running a delicate finger over the deep crack running right down the center.

“Daichi,” he murmurs. The Obsidian hums quietly from where he’s sitting with Bokuto on the couch, rubbing his back as the Tourmaline’s panic ebbs away. “Daichi, this is a Tanzanite.”

Bokuto makes a wounded sound and Daichi looks up quickly, shocked. He doesn’t speak for a few moments, glancing at Bokuto’s hunched form before asking quietly, “ _Who’s_ Tanzanite?”

Sugawara swallows, tilting the gem back and forth and studying the way it catches the mid-morning light streaming through the windows. “I’ve never seen a Tanzanite this… pretty,” he hesitates. “I’d say he served White.” Bokuto shifts uncomfortably and Suga bites his lip. “I’m sorry.”

Hinata leans against Kageyama’s shoulder, gently wrapping his hands around the Azurite’s arm. Kageyama lets him stay. “I don’t understand what is happening,” he whispered, and yeah, Kageyama could agree.

Azumane seemed wake up from his silent trance when Daichi addresses him. “Asahi, Noya should be in his room. Could you…?”

“O-of course,” he stuttered, immediately bounding off the warp pad toward the temple door. He glanced back at Bokuto once more before pressing his palm over the replica of Nishinoya’s gem. The pattern of the Tiger Eye’s gem appeared on the door before it shimmered and disappeared. Azumane stepped halfway inside, calling out for the gem residing inside.

“Are you coming in?” Nishinoya’s voice sounded sleepily. “I’m napping, but you don’t have to stand over there.”

Azumane spoke softly and patiently. “I am very sorry to wake you, Noya-san.” He got a tiny groan in response. “You need to come out here. We went to the Sky Arena earlier,”

“I _know_ ,” he whined petulantly. “But why do I need to get up? I’d much rather you come in here and lay _down_ ,”

Suga looks up, scandalized. “Nishinoya, there is a _child_ out here!” Kageyama snickers at Hinata’s offended expression.

“We found a cracked gem,” Asahi says cautiously before Nishinoya is shoving past him (as well as Kageyama and Hinata, who have not moved from the warp pad) and stalking towards Daichi, Bokuto, and Sugawara seated on the couch.

“What do you mean you _found_ a cracked gem? Who is it?” he demanded, rolling his eyes. “Who went and got hurt this time?”

“It’s not… one of us,” Sugawara says slowly, gently handing the cracked Tanzanite over to Nishinoya. “I don’t know exactly where they found him-”

“Bokuto and Hinata were messing around,” Kageyama spoke up. (“We were _training_ ,” Bokuto whines at Daichi’s accusatory look.) “I don’t know what the condition of his gem was before Bokuto made Hinata cracked it,”

“Hey!” Bokuto snapped.

“But he was right in the middle of a bunch of weeds, so he probably hasn’t reformed because he just didn’t have the space. But know, he really can’t because Hinata’s so fat.”

“ _Hey_!” The tiny Citrine pinched his elbow, but Kageyama ignored him.

Nishinoya looked over at them briefly before squinting down at the gem in his hands. “This is pretty bad,” he mused. “If I can heal this, what are we supposed to do when he reforms? Because he’s going to take the first opportunity he can to come back, I can feel it. His magic is pretty strong, and he might be dangerous,”

“You can’t leave him like that,” Bokuto murmured, running his hands over his face. “He doesn’t deserve it. Who knows how long he’s been here,” He shook his head.

Nishinoya looked from Bokuto to Daichi, a silent question in his eyes. Daichi, in turn, sent a curious gaze to the Topaz sitting on Bokuto’s other side. “Tanzanites are elites, and I can’t recall one ever having a weapon or combat experience.”

Daichi nodded minutely. “Heal him, Noya.”

The Tiger’s Eye still looked skeptical, but he knelt down on the floor anyway. Sugawara wordlessly handed him one of the throw pillows from the couch. Noya settled the gem onto the pillow, resting both of his hands over the blue gem and closing his eyes. Hinata squeezed Kageyama’s arm when Nishinoya’s gem began to glow, inching closer and dragging the Azurite with him.

The gems kept silent until Nishinoya’s gem stopped glowing as he pulled his hands away from the Tanzanite. The crack was gone. “Is he okay?” Hinata asked softly, shattering the tense atmosphere.

Nishinoya nodded. “He should be okay, but I really think he’s going to-” he cut himself off abruptly when the gem began to glow brightly. He scrambled backwards until his back pressed against the couch when the Tanzanite floated off the pillow.

Kageyama shook Hinata off his arm, grabbing the Citrine by the hand and dragging him away from where the Tanzanite was carefully taking his form. Hinata let himself be dragged, hiding halfway behind Kageyama’s back when a white silhouette of the Tanzanite’s lithe body appeared.

The gems gasped collectively, watching with wide eyes as the light from the Tanzanite’s gem solidified as he lowered himself back to the floor. He landed lightly on his feet before gracefully sinking to his knees and crossing his arms across his chest in a Diamond salute.

He didn’t move until Suga spoke up, speaking almost inaudibly. “You don’t need to do that. Your Diamond is not here.”

The Tanzanite looked up immediately, and Hinata was shocked by how beautiful he was. His dark hair was short, but still managed to be unruly and artistically mussed. His eyes, narrow and calculating, were the same bottomless shade of blue as the gem situated on his back. Even from his crouched position, Hinata could tell he was tall. The only thing he found strange was the way the gem was dressed, but he figured Homeworld gems were bound to look different than those of earth.

He stared at the four gems seated in front of him, eyes lingering on Bokuto, before his eyes slid quickly over to Asahi, Kageyama, and Hinata. His face didn’t change, and his eyes gave nothing away, but when he spoke, Hinata could hear the barely concealed panic in his voice. “Where is White Diamond?”

“Holy shit,” Nishinoya whispered. Suga leaned down a little to pinched Noya’s cheek, keeping him quiet.

The Tanzanite glanced between Suga and the other gems, distrust blatant in his eyes. “I am Tanzanite Facet-1A3L Cut-2YB, an elite member of the court of White Diamond. Tell me where I may locate my Diamond _immediately_.”

“Oh my God,” Hinata whispered.

Suga didn’t miss a beat. “I’m sorry, but you may not contact White Diamond. This is the planet-”

“ _Earth_ ,” the Tanzanite interrupted with a grimace. He stared at Bokuto, narrowing his eyes. “So you are a part of this pathetic resistance keeping me prisoner here, now. This is new.” The Tourmaline shifted uncomfortably. “This horrendous treatment of an elite rarity is unacceptable and evidence of high treason,” he tilts his chin up, narrowing his eyes at Sugawara. “But _you_ are already very familiar with treason against Homeworld, I’m sure.”

Sugawara bristled, calm demeanor evaporating. He sat up straighter on the couch, squaring his shoulders and making his voice louder, more authoritative. “No gem residing on this planet is committing treason, your _Clarity_ ,”

“I demand to know why you savages have trapped me on this filthy rock. Why release me if you do not intend to return me to my Diamond? You take pride in bubbling and restraining Homeworld gems, do you not?” The Tanzanite sneered. “And you will address me as your _Intelligence_.”

Sugawara ignores the correction, meeting the Tanzanite’s cold glare with an equally icy stare Hinata has never seen him look so… _powerful_. Tension crackled between the two like electricity. Daichi glances between the two, making a mental note to ask the Topaz if he ever came across this gem during his time as an elite.

“You were never captured and bubbled, and you are not a prisoner. We have no idea why you are here on Earth and not on Homeworld, but it seems that your gem was abandoned here, left to be covered by weeds in this realm’s Arena.”

The Tanzanite didn’t respond, opting instead to glare even more coldly at the Topaz.

Daichi spoke up when it became apparent that the petty stare down was not going to end any time soon. There is no longer a resistance against Homeworld forces, because Homeworld no longer occupies this planet.”

The Tanzanite looked from Suga to Daichi, now slightly confused. “No longer occupies…?”

“Um,” He coughed before clearing his throat, avoiding looking directly at the gem knelt on the floor nervously. “Y-your _Intelligence_ ,” Daichi casts Suga a warning glance when he scoffs. The Topaz only crossed his arms over his chest haughtily. “White Diamond gave the order for Homeworld to abandon Chocolate Diamond’s kindergarten project on Earth two-thousand eight-hundred and fifty-one years ago. We haven’t been in contact with Homeworld since the war ended.”

Than Tanzanite stared blankly at Daichi for several moments before letting out a harsh chuckle. The rude display of humor quickly morphed into one of agony as tears formed quickly in his eyes, spilling over onto his cheeks. He lowered the Diamond Salute he’d stubbornly held, letting his arms lie still on his thighs. Shaking his head, he laughed again, bitterly.

Bokuto practically tumbled onto his face in his hasted to comfort the Tanzanite, reaching up to brush his tears away delicately.

Kageyama’s eyebrows shot up. He’d never seen Bokuto be careful about _anything_. He was even more shocked when the Tanzanite allowed the touch. He glanced at Daichi and Sugawara; they both looked equally as surprised.

“Ah, I have no right to be upset,” the gem mumbled to himself. “When we came to Earth… so long ago,” he hiccupped pathetically, and Hinata shifted further behind Kageyama when Bokuto practically melted. He felt as if he was intruding on a private conversation. “We came to Earth because he was tired of dealing with it. The war was like a bothersome pest to him. He was so aggravated, and I was concerned. I only did it becau-because I was concerned about him, I _swear_ ,”

Bokuto smoothed his thumbs over the Tanzanite’s cheekbones when more tears spilled over. “What did you do?”

The gem sobbed, leaning closer to Bokuto. “I read my Diamond’s mind,” he sobbed. “I read his mind even though I knew it was wrong.” He shook his head slowly. “The resistance was stronger than he expected it to be, and there was so much violence. He was trying to figure out the best way to end everything quickly, and I knew how distracted he was. So when we were ambushed, I-” he choked on his next words, shaking his head again.

“You sacrificed yourself?” Bokuto whispered. The gem didn’t respond. “You sacrificed yourself for your Diamond, but he left you here.”

The Tanzanite looked up at Bokuto through his tear-soaked lashes. “Yes,” he murmured, sniffling. “I guess he did.” Bokuto jerked away from him, flustered by the direct eye contact. The Tanzanite wiped at his own tears, squinting at the blushing Tourmaline. “Do I recognize you?”

“Uh, probably,” Bokuto mumbled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. “I served under White Diamond. I was a member of his Rare Quartz Regime-”

“Fukurodani,” the gem interrupted. “If I remember correctly, you are Tourmaline Quartz Special Kinder-Facet Fukurodani, a captain Cut?” The Tanzanite smiled softly, reaching forward to brush his knuckles against the back of Bokuto’s hand. “You were always so polite when your regime was assigned to escort me.”

Bokuto smiled back, turning his hand palm up and curling his thick fingers around the Tanzanite’s longer, more delicate ones. “I was transferred to Black Diamond after escorting you a couple of times. It was obvious to everyone how much I stared at you, and that was pretty not okay.”

The other gem blinked at him owlishly. “No?”

Bokuto shook his head, hope leaking into his next words. “Not on Homeworld, but it could be here. If you want to stay, that is. There’s plenty of us, you’ll fit right in, I promise.”

The Tanzanite glanced up at the other gems around them, casting a particularly wary glance at Sugawara. He squeezed Bokuto’s hand. “Well, I don’t really have much of a choice in staying, do I?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry about this very, very, VERY late update. I don't have an excuse, haha.  
> I dumped this out in a couple hours, so please excuse any typos, inconsistencies, or other mistakes. I'm also sorry about the heavy BokuAka towards the end, but I am weak.  
> If you have questions, I would LOVE to talk about this fic extensively, LOL.  
> Please leave a kudos or comment, I appreciate the support.


	6. Elite Rarity Tanzanite: Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “At least I understand my own Diamond’s true nature now.” Keiji pauses for a moment. “What is yours?”

The first thing Hinata quickly notices is that there is a fundamental difference in the way he and this Tanzanite are welcomed. He understands that the gems have not quite assimilated to his presence, so the awkward interactions are simply taken in stride.

The apprehension which everyone exudes around this new face suggests to Hinata that time spent away from Homeworld, from _their_ domestic planet, won’t change the predetermined laws by which the gems abide. Status, caste, and prestige are traditions of their very existence. Subordinate behaviors will always lurk deep within their beings.

Hinata, however, knows nothing of tradition.

“Are you gonna give a name to him, Bokuto-san?” he calls from the kitchen, hidden behind Kageyama’s shoulder. Everyone (besides the Tanzanite) startles at his outburst.

Bokuto quickly gathers his composure, but keeps his eyes on the floor when he addresses the Tanzanite, hands now folded tightly in his lap. “The human society our temple dwells in is one called Japan. As permanent residents of earth, we adopt some of their customs. If it would please you, I’d like to offer his Intelligence the name Akaashi Keiji,” he announces seamlessly, like he’d practiced these words. Sugawara shifts on the cushion next to Daichi, bleeds irritation. The Tanzanite only spares the Topaz an unimpressed glance before he studies Bokuto contemplatively, then nods.

“That sounds lovely, Bokuto-san.” He smiles (The Quartz trembles).

“Wah, that went so smoothly! Why did it have to be so hard when I got here?” Hinata exclaims, slumping against Kageyama’s back.

“Shut your fucking mouth, idiot!” The Azurite hisses, gripping Hinata’s bicep and dragging him towards the temple door.

“Kageyama, your language! Why can’t you say ‘fricking’ or even just damn! So crass,” Hinata’s voice fades as they disappear through the door into Kageyama’s room. The Azurite’s growl of a response is unheard over Hinata’s yelp of pain.

Four heads turn forward once again to see the Tanzanite already staring at them. “You should send out the message,” he addresses Daichi, only smiling politely when the Obsidian gapes in surprise. “I’d love to meet the rest of them. Are they as amusing as your two youngest?”

This time, when Daichi orders everyone back to the temple as soon as possible, the gems obey. Kuroo and Kenma are the first to return. Akaashi and the Goldenite lock eyes immediately; an intense gaze passes between them, but goes unnoticed by anyone else. Kuroo has to nudge Kenma further into the temple’s common space when he seems to freeze on the warp pad, but attributes his reluctance to anxiety. Kenma leans into the Scapolite’s side and does not raise his eyes from the floor to look at the Tanzanite directly again.

Akaashi simply kneels on the floor next to Bokuto as the more gems begin to fill the main room of the temple. Despite so many individuals staring judgingly at him, his face is calm, but not eerily so. He seems slightly contemplative, but at ease. Strange.

Once the last remaining team (Lev and Yaku, unsurprisingly) warp into the temple, Kuroo speaks for all of them. “So, Daichi-san. Who is this?”

Akaashi speaks before Daichi has a chance to. “I am Tanzanite Facet-1A3L Cut-2YB, an elite mem-” he pauses, corrects himself a bit bitterly. “A former elite member of the court of White Diamond. I was informed that this planet is no longer a territory of Homeworld; during the war I was injured and abandoned here. I am gifted with Future Vision and slight… psychic abilities, I shall say. I have no skills of use during combat other than basic self-defense training. I have been generously gifted the name Akaashi Keiji by your Tourmaline,” he gestures softly towards Bokuto. “I assume I will be staying here for now. Pardon my intrusion,” He bows to everyone gathered before him, makes eye contact with each gem when he straightens. “It’s a pleasure to meet you all.”

He is answered with silence.

“Well I guess that’s that,” Kuroo exclaims clapping his hands together. “Welcome to our home, Akaashi Keiji-san.”

 

The Tanzanite spends his first few days at the temple demurely watching the gem stones go about their daily routine, keeping out of the way and only making conversation with those who approach him first. Kuroo warms up to Akaashi quickly, and his loud laughter eases the other gems into eventual conversation with him, but Kenma and Sugawara remain cold to the Tanzanite. Kenma feigns innocent disinterest, but the Topaz is direct with his unbridled distain.

(Akaashi remains unbothered.)

Despite the apparent rudeness of their respective partners, Daichi and Kuroo eventually decide, after a long conversation, (during which Bokuto sits quietly and stares at the Tanzanite the entire time, utterly unhelpful), that the elite would be most comfortable as a Keeper along with Suga (and Nishinoya, who is never actually _keeping_ the temple), despite the obvious hostility brewing between him and the only other resident at their temple to previously hold a similar title.

(“So, do you wanna tell me why you don’t like him?” Daichi asks Sugawara when they’ve retired to the latter’s room for the evening. Not having seen the him enter the room, the Topaz startles at his Obsidian’s proximity, huffing at him in mild irritation. Daichi only offers an apologetic smile. “Were the two of you acquainted at one point?”

“I’m not sure what you mean. I don’t dislike the Tanzanite.”

“Bokuto says he’d like to call him Keiji,”

“Yes, I remember.” The Topaz interrupts coolly. “I recognize him, as our statuses were similar during our time serving on the elite court. I don’t know him well, though.”

Daichi hums contemplatively. “He’s a little traditional, but he’s trying. It’s taking a while for him to get used to things, and that’s understandable.” He pretends not to notice the way Suga’s eyebrows pull together, pretty mouth wrinkled into a scowl. “And he seems to understand Koutarou, so I kind of appreciate that he’s here.”

Suga seems to collect himself then, pinched expression dissolving. “Ever the fair and understanding leader, my love.”

Daichi smiles again, pressing a quick kiss to Suga’s cheekbone. “I know you dislike him. You can’t fool me, your _Clarity_.”

This surprises a laugh out of the Topaz. “You will address me as your _Abundance_.” Sugawara corrects jokingly, giggling against Daichi’s mouth before returning his kiss.)

 

The second thing Hinata quickly notices is that Akaashi’s presence creates a strange tension; not necessarily a negative one, (as the Tanzanite is usually polite and pleasant, if a bit stoic) but there is a strange aura that lingers around him. It sharpens every time he offers his smile, stunning and beautiful despite being small and cautious.

It starts with Bokuto. The Tourmaline Quartz is completely unable to look Akaashi in the eye for more than a few seconds at a time. He freezes if the Tanzanite addresses him directly, and responds with his head bowed, voice quiet.

When Hinata asks, this nearly… _submissive_ behavior by the normally boisterous Quartz soldier is simply brushed off by the other gems as Bokuto having a crush on the beautiful elite rarity; as they’ve met before, it’s perfectly feasible that Bokuto is still just as attracted to him as he used to be.

 

After a short time as the temple’s fourteenth permanent resident, Akaashi asks quietly if he could be escorted to the ward of the Main Warp. Upon the uncomfortable glance that passes between Kuroo and Daichi, he’s quick to elaborate.

“I came to Earth with only my Diamond’s militant forces and Sapphire Facet-1A1K. Because of such conflict, my Vision was… obstructed, in a sense. On the day I was hurt,” Akaashi’s eyes grow sad, and he fixes his gaze on his hands, folded tightly in his lap. “I saw that he might be hurt as well, at Temple Champagne. I just want to,” he paused again to lick his lips nervously. “I would like to know if he made it home.”

The _‘or if his shattered remains lie abandoned on this planet’_ goes unsaid.

This is how Kageyama, Hinata (“For experience, right, Sawamura-san?” Kuroo had grinned), Yaku, Lev, and Bokuto end up prowling carefully through the war-torn wreckage of what used to be the courtyard before Chocolate Diamond’s earthy shrine, Temple Champagne.

Bokuto leads the way with Akaashi half a step behind him; Yaku trails after the pair with Lev, who is talking loudly at the Agate despite the fact that the latter doesn’t seem to be listening very attentively; Kageyama and Hinata bring up the rear.

“I wonder why we’re getting so many new gems in such a short time, it makes me feel like something big is going to happen soon. What do you think, Yaku-san?” the Pearl casts a mirthful glance over his shoulder at Kageyama. “Either way, I think something exciting needs to happen, everyone is so boring, lately.”

Kageyama huffs irritably at Hinata’s side, and the small Quartz glances up at him just in time to catch him roll his eyes so hard it nearly gives him a headache. He smiles to himself, looking ahead when he hears Akaashi’s voice.

“I don’t see anything along the trail here, Bokuto-san,” his soft voice carries over Lev’s chatter. “Would it be alright for me to walk through the alter before we return to the temple?”

Bokuto halts so abruptly that Akaashi nearly stumbles into him, spine straight and stiff as a rod. “O-of course, your Intelligence!” the Tourmaline exclaims.

Akaashi looks slightly uncomfortable, but Yaku speaks before he can say anything, walking ahead of the two of them. “Now, that’s hardly necessary, Koutarou. He asked a question, he’s not commanding anything of you.”

Hinata watches as Lev’s posture suddenly goes rigid as well, and the tall Pearl slows his pace to fall into step slightly behind Yaku. The Agate pretends not to notice, even though Lev’s long legs make it almost impossible for him to walk slower than anyone, let alone a gem of Yaku’s stature; Lev lagging behind is painfully noticeable. While Hinata is doubtful that Bokuto’s behavior is simply anxious romantic attraction, he is positive that no such feelings would dictate Lev’s mannerisms around Akaashi.

“I’m not. I _wouldn’t_ ,” the Tanzanite says slowly, trying to catch Lev’s eye despite the Pearl’s gaze being glued to his feet. “Command you.”

Hinata casts another sidelong glance at Kageyama, but the tall Azurite’s face is situated into his usual aggravated scowl. He glances back to Akaashi, who’s eyes are flitting almost nervously between Bokuto, Yaku, and Haiba. Thankfully, the Agate breaks the tension before the Tanzanite can say more.

“Let’s _go_ , people,” he snaps. “Sugawara isn’t going to keep these warps active for us forever!”

Akaashi sidles up to Suga’s side later that evening, when everyone else is distracted.

“What are you doing?” he asks. His eyes have become guarded, and he watches Sugawara with cold accusation.

“Excuse me?” the Topaz chuckles, condescending. “I’m simply standing here, same as you.”

“We are _nothing_ alike,” Akaashi snaps, glaring now. “Why are you here on this planet? Do you understand what could be happening on Homeworld in your absence?”

“I’m sure no one is missing _one_ Topaz,” Suga counters. “They surely don’t seem too concerned about you, and you outrank me.”

Akaashi snorts at the backhanded insult, but doesn’t acknowledge it. “You don’t seem to be exhausted from holding a Restricted Area Access Stream open for such a long time. I was not aware that a Topaz could be such a talented warp master. Champagne was never one to assign tasks to gems not traditionally meant to carry them out.”

Sugawara cuts him a sidelong glance, scathing. “ _I_ was not aware you were privy to the nature of a Diamond that was not your own.”

“At least I understand my own Diamond’s true nature now.” Keiji pauses for a moment. “What is yours?”

“My Diamond was no different from yours. They are selfish and proud. Chocolate would never even admit to losing the battle for control of this planet, let alone that his loyal Topaz would betray him.”

The Tanzanite’s eyes were merely thin slits of judgement now. “Selfish and proud.” He hummed, turning away when Bokuto and Kuroo grew increasingly rowdy where they were pretending to wrestle up in the loft (much to Kenma’s extreme aggravation).

“I suppose I can agree.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i am very sorry this took so dang long! chapters should come much more quickly now, as we've gotten over the hump that is the beginning and the plot will very soon thicken! very soon like next chapter soon!
> 
> (a slight spoiler: if you love lev, the next chapter will make you very happy. next chapter: lev's emerald!)
> 
> i thank you dearly for being so patient.
> 
> please comment/leave kudos if you enjoyed.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments/kudos are appreciated!


End file.
